Tait hid his demons: HusseyPhil LuttonFebruary 4, 2008 - 4:36PM
Shaun Tait had everyone fooled. His friends, his fans and his team-mates.
From the outside, the knockabout South Australian was radiating the same affable facade that made him a well-liked member of the Australian team; a man Michael Hussey describes as a "genuine bloke".
Inside, the storm clouds were building. Within the fragile mind of the explosive fast bowler was an emotional tempest that was blasting through like one of his 150kmh yorkers smashing into off stump.
When the strain became too much, Tait's poker face flinched. Last week, in a move that rocked Australian cricket, the 24-year-old gave up the game indefinitely, citing emotional and physical stress.
In a rare insight into the inner-working of a team that prides itself on being a tight-knit unit that looks after its own, batting dynamo Hussey says he never suspected a thing before Tait's sensational implosion.
"That was the thing. We didn't really pick up on too much. He's a really genuine character, a great bloke to have around," Hussey said in Brisbane.
"He was his usual laughable self but deep down, he was obviously battling pretty hard. He was obviously going through a tough time.
"I know all the guys have been in touch with him, offering their support and we're hoping he can get through this and get back in the team. When he does come back, a few guys will really have to take him under their wings I think."
Given his meteoric rise in Test cricket, where he averages a mind-boggling 84.80 in his 20 appearances, it's difficult to imagine a time when Hussey was feeling like he'd been dragged through the gutter.
But the earnest left-hander says he can empathise with Tait's demons after enduring some difficult times of his own, both on and off the field. And he knows there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Hussey admitted his professional life bottomed out badly in 2004, when he was dropped from the Western Australian side 10 years after making his debut.
More recently, Hussey went through a period of personal heartache when his daughter Molly was born 28 weeks premature, spending the first nine weeks of her life in hospital.
"I went through some very, very tough periods. Both on and off the field really. That's just part of life. You've got to work your way through it," Hussey said.
"I was lucky. I hard some good support networks around me to help me get through those tough periods. I was dropped from the WA team at one stage and that was probably the lowest point of my career.
"I always had this dream of playing for Australia and suddenly I was out of the West Australian team. Obviously that dream seemed a million miles away.
"It's important to have good people around you, a good support network and slowly work your way through it. I'm sure he'll (Tait) come out the other end a stronger person and a better person."
Hussey said outsiders may not understand the heavy demands placed on members of the Australian cricket set-up. With the combination of intense pressure to perform in the middle and an endless string external commitments, Hussey said it took a degree of resilience to see it through.
"I don't know what it was like back in other eras, but I think it's very tough. And it's a lot tougher than what people do think," he said.
"What I've learned and what I've experienced is playing international cricket, there's so much in the package. The actual playing the game - which is hard enough in itself - is a very small part of the whole package of playing cricket for Australia.
"There's appearances, travel, media commitments, sponsors, functions, training, time away from family and friends that all have an impact on how you're coping. And it's really tough."
http://www.smh.com.au/news/cricket/tait-hid-his-demons-hussey/2008/02/04/1202090310878.html
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July 13, 2006, 08:18:18 PM